One Shot - Adam

Hey everyone!  Thought I would join in on the fun of this assignment.  Love the concept and cant wait to see everyone at the presentation today.....

This is Adam.  He is a musician, plays keyboards and rhodes. He's a good friend.  We shoot together when I visit home.  I like collaborating with other artists.....

Taylor

One Shot

I just moved to a new apartment and I didn’t have the opportunity yet to meet any of my neighbors. I thought that the “One shot” assignment would be a good excuse to get on with someone of the building.  A lot of times I hear someone playing music in the apartment next to mine. Sometimes I hear the piano and other times someone playing the guitar.  I had no idea if the musician was a man or a woman, a young or an old person. I didn’t know either if he or she was a multi-skilled artist or if there was more than one musician living in the same place. So I decided to ring the bell of the apartment number 5 and for the ten seconds that I was waiting in front of the door, thousands of questions came into my head: Is this person living alone? Is her or him obsessed with cats? Is this person really a professional musician or does he/she play for fun? If she is a woman, do I have something in common with her? If he is a man, is he the man of my life? …

Anyway, someone open the door and I could see Michael, a charming old man with an indelible smile. We were talking for a while and it was so funny to discover that we have more in common that I could imagine. He never traveled to Spain, my country, but he is a huge fan of Flamenco music. We were talking about Camaron and Paco de Lucía, Billie Holliday or Stan Getz, while he was playing the guitar in his living room.  

 

Rus

 

One Shot - Happy Day

Today was a great, exiting, happy day. I bought my first snowboard! It involved a processes of numerous questions, chit chat, talk about where have you been and where you are going.... and, this is Sean, "the one". Attentive, patient man responsible for this great moment of satisfaction. My first board!

- Carmen

One Shot

I was helping my friend to move to her new apartment couple days ago and saw her new roommate, Lee, smoking in the balcony. He then passes me a cigarette and asks me to join him after we done the moving stuff. He shows me his Nikon D90 after he notices that I am photography major. I didn’t bring my camera with me, so I use his camera to take one shot of him smoking. I ask him to hold and release the smoke slowly. He says he smokes one pack per day. Is it too much? I ask. He then immediately answers” I don’t think so!”

-Andy

One Shot

Robbie has lived in California her whole life but in a few days she is moving to the East Village in Manhattan. Her soon-to-be roommates are looking for the apartment while she finishes up work in San Francisco. The decision to move was impulsive. She thinks not having a real job for a while could be a good thing.

-Jon

One Shot

Like every semester, I look for interesting people to shoot. I sent out a bunch of emails to circus performers, troupes and schools hoping they'd be willing to let me take portraits of them. This is Gregangelo. He's the owner/founder of Gregangelo's Velocity Circus here in San Francisco. He was the first to reply to my email. He said he's more of an 'in-person' person and would rather meet me first to talk and see his place. I could easily say he is one of the most interesting and creative people I've ever met. I was real nervous and wanted to make a good first impression. After spending the day with him, I couldn't be any more excited to shoot and work with him further. This image was taken in between all the action in his busy home. Thank goodness he stayed still for a moment just for this one shot. 

-Francesca

One Shot

Initially, I was nervous about approaching a complete stranger, chatting them up, and taking their portrait. The confinements of taking only one shot also put the pressure on. Thankfully, I met a couple of really nice people today as I was walking home through Lower Haight. First, I met Gloria on Page Street, who was wearing a cool hat and purple pants. It turns out that she was quite into photography back in the day. In fact, she mentioned she has a darkroom enlarger and other photo equipment that she wouldn't mind donating to a school. (Academy of Art, perhaps?) A bit later, I was photographing a shadow on the side of a building when I met Tien. She was kind enough to pose and I found out that she lives just a few blocks away from me. Even though my time with Gloria and Tien was brief, it was a great experience personally and it also put my photo skills to the test! 

(Top photo: Tien; Bottom photo: Gloria)

-Amanda

One Shot

A friend of mine suggested that we swing by an organic vegan restaurant in the Marina where her friend works as the Executive Chef.  Since I grew up in Texas (beef capital of the country), this isn't exactly my choice of fare, but I thought this might be a great opportunity to grab my camera and tag along.  We hung out for an hour or so chatting with Sascha, a New York trained chef who was George Lucas's personal chef and owner/executive chef of Lettus Cafe in San Francisco.  His story was very interesting and he was kind enough to let me photograph him in his restaurant.  Sascha was very personable and even allowed us sample different dishes off the menu.  While I don't see myself turning Vegan anytime soon... the food was mighty tasty!

~ Ryan Notch  ~

One-shot portrait

Hi guys, this is Chrissy Lynn. I am in NYC this week so I will be missing Saturday's class. I'm bummed about it because I know what I'm missing. I saw Alexander Berg speak in NY last October, am familiar with his 'one shot' series and I really admire his work.

It's my twin sister's birthday. I decided to get a haircut, and really got to know my hairdresser during that time. I ask her if I could take just one picture of her and she agreed. I liked the approach to set the one-shot parameter on our portrait. I think this encourages us to get to know the person and develop a comfort level with them in order to capture any personality or emotion in their eyes. With giving ourselves only one chance to get a good portrait, it forces us to take more time into getting to know the subject.

This is Heather, a hairdresser @ the famous Cutler in SoHo. She moved to NY from the country in Pennsylvania 5 years ago, has two cats and really loves mint chocolate chip ice cream.

[I still haven't figured out how to link my personal blog to this blog, but here's the link to copy/paste if you're interested in seeing what I've been up to. http://photomonkeyc.blogspot.com/

There's a relevant post I put up a few days ago referencing last Saturday's class, but was unable until today to log into the aaublog. check it out!

have a great day.. chrissy lynn

Photos:
Caravan for Justice, A statement for Social Justice concerning Californian Minorities. Sacratmento, CA: February 19, 2008
More Storey...

Me:
Academy of Art MFA student and proud friend and fan of many of you. Grateful viewer for all those I havn't yet met. Feel free to be in touch.
Blog...

Israel: A Culture at War

Israel: A Culture at War

By Kevin Michael Schmitz

Israel is a place that I will never forget.  I just returned a few weeks ago from shooting for 4 magazine editorials to be published in Europe and America about the people and the landscapes of Israel at a time of war.  

Professor James Chiang requested that I share my work with you.  My name is Kevin Michael Schmitz and I am an advertising and editorial photographer in Manhattan Beach that shoots between LA and NY.  

I began my journey in January at the beginning of the Gaza offensive by the IDF.  I entered the West Bank and photographed the Wailing Wall of the second temple (Built in 19 B.C.) in Jerusalem. The feeling of being in the most pivotal cultural and religious holy land in the world was awe inspiring.  The ancient walls, fortresses and temples were like nothing that I have ever experienced in my life.  The human response to these religious symbols was amazing to capture as I stood at the base of the wailing wall and photographed a Hasidic Jewish Rabbi.  

The people were so fascinating to speak to as well as to photograph. What I knew about the middle east as a naive American changed completely by spending time in Israel.  I learned so much about why the conflict exists, and the historical premise to which it began.  The stark racism within the country was very apparent as well as the discrepancy between the middle class and the poor.  I feel as though the outside world has been shown a very distorted perspective on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank through the media both in the Western Culture as well as in Gaza.  The conflict is far more complex and unending than many in the outside world believe.  

The most memorable experience was  climbing the ancient fortress of Masada as I photographed the sunrise over the Dead Sea (The Lowest Point on Earth).  I traveled to Tiberius and the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, Tel Aviv, the Port of Old Jaffa, and rode camels through the NeGev Desert while I photographed a muslim Bedouin Nomadic People.  

Despite major conflicts in Gaza, as well as from Lebanon in the north, I have been able to capture striking portraits of the people, landscapes, ancient cityscapes, and documentary images of a culture at war.   Being in a military state at war and being attacked is something that I will never forget.  I hope you enjoy these initial images of the more than 4,000 that I have photographed. If you would like to see more of my editorial, fine art or advertising work, please checkout my website at www.KevinSchmitz.com

Kevin Michael Schmitz

NY  646.201.6768

LA  310.808.4565

www.KevinSchmitz.com

Kevin@KevinSchmitz.com

Sharleen OneShot

I shot a girlfriend of one of my boyfriend's buddies. She just moved up here from San Diego, didn't really know anyone so I thought she would be a perfect stranger.  I asked if she wouldn't mind me taking just one photo of her and we agreed to shoot at night (her favorite time of the day). We met at happy hour and chatted for a long time before we started the shoot. It was a great experience for me because I don't do portraiture. I shoot models (period!). I found myself wanting to direct the way the shoot was going to go. Then I would step back and ask what she would like and what her expectations were. We had a great time chatting and I learned that we have a lot of the same interests. I also learned that although she is a very colorful person she is also pretty reserved and likes to be in the shadows. It was a great way to get to know a stranger and a good exercise in shooting with the person's essence in mind.

- Juliette

One Shot

We hosted a show at our house last night, so I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to lots of strangers.  I was very nervous going into the night knowing that I would eventually have to take at least one portrait of someone who I had just met.  This is something that is definitely out of my comfort zone.  Through the process, I felt like I was able to connect with several people and by the end of the conversation, the photo was very easy to take.  The photo that I posted is of the person I talked to the most.  It turned out that we have a mutual friend and he is actually moving soon to work on his post-doc at my alma mater- the University of Illinois.  It was amazing how much we had in common and by the end of the night I felt very comfortable.   It made the photo-taking experience much more enjoyable after making the personal connection.

-Rachel

Sustaining San Francisco

Hi everyone,

I went to the Sustaining San Francisco meeting on Monday night and met with students from the graphic design, industrial design, and fashion departments. Thanks to Will Mosgrove, Kat Nyberg, and Angela Deville for representing the photography department! Everyone seems really excited to see this project evolve and come to fruition. 

We discussed collaboration between departments, the exhibition, as well as the possibility of having a blog for the Sustaining SF project. Each department seems to have a different approach to this project and some classes are even devoting the entire semester to the cause. I think we should definitely have another discussion soon about our respective projects and where we see them going. Please feel free to drop me a line before our next class if you have any questions.

Amanda

hi it's margo

Hi! It's margo here. Sorry for the late introduction, but I've been around, checking in with the blog from time to time to see what you guys have been up to. Seems like you've had some great speakers so far, and a great group of people. I've been working on a movement study, and would love to get your thoughts on it! I'm interested in how the body can be both violent and vulnerable at the same time, and have been playing around in the studio trying to capture it. Feel free to drop me a line, and I'll see you guys in class one of these days!

- Margo

Following up, following directions & a big thank you

Hey, everyone:

Thank you immensely for having me on V Day, for asking great questions, for giving me new things to think about.

James asked me to follow up by posting links and such to some of the things I mentioned.

In no particular order pertaining to our time together:

Felix Gonzalez-Torres: a Cuban artist, now deceased, whose work remains a powerful influence to me.

(and to the young woman who "coincidentally" brought with her those sensitive and striking images of FGT pieces you took...thank you for sharing those. There are no accidents. Loved seeing those!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Gonzalez-Torres

Stephen Prina: an artist (very much alive), an instructor now at Harvard University, a mentor and close friend.

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/film/14910.htm

Prina covering a Joni Mitchell song as part of the official non-opening for MOCA's exhibition "Index: Conceptualism in California from the Permanent Collection": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYHq_AOBaOM

(He's wearing a football jersey on which I had P-R-I-N-A put in big letters across the back....guess it runs in the family.)

Vaginal Davis: I don't know where to begin to describe Vag, however I know of no one more prolific or multi-disciplined

www.vaginaldavis.com

** to the young woman who mentioned Vanessa Beecroft, I thought you might like Vag's take on VB:

http://www.reakt.org/vd/index.html
http://www.vaginaldavis.com/photos/beef.html

A must read, must read, for reals:

Corpus by Jean-Luc Nancy

Fordham University Press
http://www.amazon.com/Corpus-Perspectives-Continental-Philosophy-Jean-Luc/dp/0823229629/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234838940&sr=8-1

also:

The Aesthetics of Risk: SoCCAS Symposium Vol. III // Edited by John C. Welchman

http://www.amazon.com/Aesthetics-Risk-SoCCAS-Symposium-Vol/dp/3905770555/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234839002&sr=1-1

Christine YuFon

Chinese, posture instructor, artist, and the closest thing to a unicorn I've experienced thus far:

http://www.christineyufon.com/Index/Index.html

(the website really doesn't do her justice)

http://www.thenunu.com/290/christine-yufon-in-her-studio/

I think that was about it.

A few more names I probably didn't mention but that have meant a lot to me and my work:

Jean Genet (The Thief's Journal, especially), Andre Gide, Kathy Acker, Georges Bataille, Marguerite Duras, Christopher Doyle, Ron Athey, The Butchlalis de Panochtitlan, Sol Lewitt, Tony Conrad, Paul Macarthy, Yayoi Kusama, Dennis Cooper, David Wojnarowicz, Peter Greenaway, Leigh Bowery (if you've never seen the documentary on him, "The Legend of Leigh Bowery," please do...), Juan Goytisolo, KISS, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, e.e. cummings, Julieta Venegas (adore), and Husker Du.

Try to swing through the gallery on Wednesday, 18 February, 2009 for my closing reception. 7:30 pm. Should be fun. Javier Natureboy is delivering the musical component and he's always a good time.

Nice bumping into Francesca on the street today.

Til next time.

Dino

parenthetically, now's the time to describe their feelings

Desert Island cinema? Here are some of my favorites.

Jean-Luc Godard's Band of Outsiders; Norman Jewison's Thomas Crown Affair; Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman, Federico Fellini's 8½.

And I'll leave you with the one of the best title sequences ever, from the Peter Yates directed, Steve McQueen classic, Bullitt.

- Jon

Really beautiful film made with stop motion and projection mapping

http://vimeo.com/3114617

Cheers

Taylor

DESERT ISLAND DISCS

per request-

-betty blue 

(Jean Jacques Beiniex)

-la double vie de veronique 

(Kieslowski)

-harold & maude

-rocky horror picture show

-hedwig and the angry inch

-persona

(ingmar bergman)

look forward to hearing/seeing all of yours, thanks!

James

WELCOME BACK JON

The Soft Spot

I'm working on a group exhibition with the Graphic Design MFA department called The SoftSpot.

The SoftSpot initiative is for designers and for curious individuals who are wondering how they can utilize their talents to make a real difference. Ultimately, we want designers to get involved in creating a higher quality of life. It is The SoftSpot's mission to create an establishment and an ongoing publication that strengthens the collaborations between creatives, the community at large, and their involvement with designing for the greater good.

A growing number of creatives want to design for a better world. People want to know how to get involved with Social Design, but the path is not clearly defined and we are all left scratching our heads.

WHAT THE *#&! IS SOCIAL DESIGN is an exhibition that explores the definition of Social Design and showcases creatives and designers who are paving the way. We invite you to interact with our collaborative exhibit.

Our opening reception is Thursday, March 12th, from 6:30pm -8:30pm at Gallery 79 in the New Montgomery Street building.

Check the official website for more details and hope to see you all there!

-Jon
www.TheSoftSpot.org

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR RECENT GUESTS DINO DINCO & PAUL TRAPANI

Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Origin of Love

John Cameron Mitchell clip, as mentioned in class.

Just brilliant.